Never Together Forever
by The-Serious-One
Summary: Ray and Maria "investigate" a haunted house, finding more than they wanted. GHOST ADVENTURES!  Zak/OC  rated M for gore.


**Never Together Forever**

**Prologue:**  
>I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I can't help it. He's so nice, and such a loving person too. He helped me through everything, and now we're here together. But something doesn't feel right. Something still boggles my mind. How can the person I never knew, choose me to live with in Heaven?<p>

**Chapter 1:**  
>I'm a boring person. I admit it, I really am. My favorite color is black, and red is all I'll wear otherwise. No one judged me for it; I guess they just thought I was emo or something. Who cares? I can be who I want to be, no matter what anyone says.<br>Yeah, I'm kind of pissed right now. I hate when people look down on me, or try to pity me. I'm fine, really. But thanks for asking. I try my hardest to conceal my emotions away from others, but so far it's not working to well. My voice gives too much away.  
>Back to me. I may be boring, but I'm cool with it. I prefer dark nights to early mornings, and always take the night shift. The darkness keeps me undercover, almost protects me. Since I'm so lonely, if you couldn't tell, I spend many nights by myself, so the darkness is my best friend.<br>I've never really thought about it that much, but I guess that's my story. Oh yeah, and the whole I'm-actually-dead scenario. Yes, I'm dead. So what?  
>I can never be normal. Oh well, they'll just have to deal with it, right?<br>Right?

**Chapter 2:**  
>After that dismal introduction, I guess I should tell you how I got here in the first place. My best friend Maria and I were exploring a broken, old, isolated house in the country of our small city. We had always joked about turning it into a haunted house. Little did we know, we were bargaining for so much more.<br>We stepped into the creaky first floor of the old house. The wood had come up in some places, so we really had to be careful with our footing. We had our two flashlights, a flip camera, and a recorder. We were trying not to laugh the whole way through, since we weren't believers in the paranormal.  
>We creaked our way up the flight of steps to the upstairs piano room. I swear, I almost had a heart attack here. Maria was the first to climb up, and she let out a blood curdling scream.<br>"What!" I hissed at her, "What. Do you see?"  
>Her face had gone completely white. Her eyes seemed to grow bigger as her trembling body stepped back towards mine. I reassuringly put my hand on her shoulder, putting her behind me so I could go ahead of her.<br>What I saw in front of me was nothing paranormal. A young man's body was laid out in front of me. His torso was grotesquely ripped apart from his mangled legs. His chest was ripped open, his entrails spread out on the floor. I crept up to look closer at the corpse, only to let my eyes glance at his face. His eyes had been gouged out, and he had no lower half of his face. I went back to the chest. I looked closely at everything. The only thing missing was his heart.  
>I ushered Maria back down to the first level, and called the police department. A state trooper arrived quickly, telling the two of us to stay out of the way. Soon after, he made a quick call and backup arrived. I held Maria in my arms, letting her cry softly into my shirt. I knew she was weak willed, and she would need rehab to forget this night.<br>The trooper came back down to us and interrogated us both. Maria was too frustrated and upset to speak, so I answered all the questions. He taped off the upstairs, and led us to his squad car. He drove us to Maria's house, bidding us a goodnight. We waved as he drove off.  
>"Stay with me," Maria whispered.<br>I wrapped an arm around her waist and led her into her house, upstairs and into her bedroom. I grabbed her sleeping bag from the closet and lay on the floor. I didn't sleep that night, and I could tell that Maria didn't either.

**Chapter 3:**  
>In the morning, I borrowed a jogging suit from Maria, and told her to call me if anything goes wrong. She hugged me, and I left. I walked the ten miles back to my house. By the time I got back, I could "feel the burn" creeping up into my thighs. Tearing off the sweaty clothes, I started a hot shower.<br>I was in there for about an hour, letting he warm water soak my aching skin. I got out, dried, and stuck my pajamas on. I was afraid to sleep, but I knew I would need it for the night ahead. Curse my night shifts that I loved so much. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out.  
>The nightmares before we're nothing compared to this. I was chained to a concrete wall, my arms and legs spread out in an X shape. I saw a man in front of me. He had short, choppy black hair, but that's all I could distinguish from his features. He held a knife in his hand. As he neared me, I could smell the blood mixed with sweat on his skin. He stepped close to my face and raked the knife down my stomach. I cried, but didn't feel any pain. He removed my heart, and weighed it on a scale. I thought I might be crazy, because the weight had gone below zero.<br>The man smirked up at me, and he began to lick the blood off me. He reached up to my head, fiercely grabbing the sides. Before he cracked my neck, I woke up in a sweat. I looked down, and gasped. Over my heart, a small tattoo of a cross was there. I've not been one for tattoos, nor have I stepped inside a tattoo parlor. Today was getting weirder and weirder...

**Chapter 4:**  
>I got out of my bed and jumped back in the shower. I grumbled at my horrible sweatiness when the phone began to ring. I wrapped a towel around my waist and picked it up.<br>"Hello?" I said smoothly, trying not to hint that the caller had disturbed me.  
>"Ray?" I heard Maria's voice over the line.<br>I breathed deeply, "What's a matter? Nightmare?"  
>"Worse," She whispered, "I didn't have a nightmare, but I have a weird tattoo over my heart.<br>"Me too. I'll stop by later to check it out."  
>"Alright," She said, "I'm glad we're such good friends. I don't know what I'd do without you."<br>I smiled, we said our goodbyes, and hung up. I dried my hair, and changed into my classic outfit. I -believe it or not- own a pair of black army boots. Paired with those I wore black leggings, and a short black skirt. I love this skirt; it has red blood splatters on it. I wore my black camisole and a red, loose half-tee over it.  
>I checked the clock, and decided I had enough time to eat before the night shift. I worked at the local bar, my mixing skills highly known. I've heard once or twice that I make more money than my manager.<br>Finishing my bowl of cereal, I grabbed my purse and car keys, heading out to my small car. I started her up, backing out of my driveway. I headed down the road to Maria's house, parking in the street. I made sure all the doors were locked and headed inside.  
>Maria looked up from her coffee cup with a tear-stained face. Her eyes were not that puffy, so she had stopped crying a while ago. I sat down in the chair next to her and lowered my shirt to show her the mysterious tattoo.<br>"That's what mine looks like," She said. She bit her lip, and showed me a picture she had taken earlier. Her cross was exactly like mine. It covered the space where her heart should be. It wasn't an ordinary cross. It was overlapped by a circle. The cross seemed to glow gold in the picture.  
>She knew I needed to get to work, so we hugged and I climbed back in my car. I drove to work silently, not wanting to hear the radio. I turned on the news anyway to be startled by what I heard.<br>"Thirty-Four year old Zak Bagans was found dead in an old abandoned house in the country of our small city. Two women who were walking around the house found his mangled body on the second floor. He has been suspected as another victim in the Heart Harvester case. A young man has been mutilating people, only to take their heart. Bagans' wallet was fully intact when they found him. More later at eight o'clock."  
>Pulling into the bar, I gulped down my sorrow for the poor man. I only knew him by the TV shows he had about ghosts and paranormal stuff. I thought it was all pretty stupid, but maybe he was catching onto something. I exited my car, locking all the doors. I walked into the bar, ready for the long night ahead of me.<p>

**Chapter 5:**

I climbed back into my car at four in the morning. The tired lines were etched into my face, and I all wanted to do was sleep. I drove into my house around five, and barely made it into my bed before falling fast asleep.

This nightmare was worse than the last. My hands and feet were bound with a thick, itchy rope. My mouth was gagged with a tissue, and I quickly bit into it, only having my mouth fill with some sour liquid. This time, I could see the man for all he was, and not just his hair. He had icy, blue eyes that seemed to stare into my mind, reading my thoughts. He was very muscular, as his tight, black shirt outlined ever muscle on his body. He wore long, grey jeans, and he was barefoot. He held the same knife in his right hand.

"We meet again," I said through the sour gag. He came up, kneeled in front of my face, and removed the gag.

"I've been waiting for you for so long," He whispered. He pulled my chin up quickly, so the bones in my neck cracked.

"Waiting? For me? What do you want, you insane man?"

He laughed, only it was a very disturbing laugh. It was childish in manner, and it definitely did not match his body shape.

"You have the most pure heart I've ever seen," He said. He licked his lips, bringing the knife down on my face. He traced my jawline, leaving blood droplets as he went.

"What do you want with my heart you maniac?" I said in hushed tones.

"Why be so quiet?" He directed his attention away from my question, "Why not be loud? No one can hear you in your dreams."

"This is no dream!" I screamed at him, "This is a –mph!"

He had slapped the gag back in my mouth, "I don't want to hear any more out of you until tomorrow night. I will be back for your heart." He jabbed the knife into my shoulder, and I woke up.

**Chapter 6:**

I rolled over in bed, hissing as pain shot up my shoulder. I pulled down my pajama shirt to see a nice slit in my shoulder. I got out of bed, walking over to my medicine cabinet. I grabbed a large band-aid, slapping it on my right shoulder. I grabbed a random outfit from my closet, not really caring what matched and what didn't. I decided to go to library, to see if I could find out any information about the mysterious man in my dreams.

I called Maria to see if she wanted to come, but she didn't pick up her phone. I thought this was odd; I guess she wasn't awake yet. I hopped in my car and drove to the giant library in the middle of the city. I parked, walking into the looming building. I immediately went over to the recent newspapers and its archives. I poured over them, looking for the articles on the Heart Harvester. I finally found one, and read the article painstakingly slowly, so I wouldn't miss anything. In reading it, I found out that the Harvester was male, tall, handsome, and American. He has "emerald eyes that woo the women."

I tried not to laugh too loud, but was still shushed by all the librarians at once. I continued reading well into the afternoon. I checked out an extremely useful one, and headed home to get ready for work. When I arrived, I dropped the newspaper on my nightstand. I was ready for work in a half-hour, and I headed to work. Before I left my house, I tried not to think about the nightmare that will befall me when I return home. I winced at the pain in my shoulder, and hoped that nothing else painful happens.

Boy was I wrong.

I got home at around four thirty again, my head pounding. The usual guys had a shot competition, so I joined in and won. I decided to shower in the morning, and fell in a heap on my bed, sleep quickly taking over me.

I wasn't bound or gagged in this dream. Instead, I was standing in a dark room, but I could hear his footsteps from the corner behind me. I could feel his breath tickle my neck

"How are you, my precious?" He whispered in my right ear.

"I'm not your precious," I said fiercely. I whipped around and saw him standing directly behind me. He was so close…No. _Don't think like that_, I told myself. _He's using you! _

I realized that he had emerald eyes, and I knew what I had to ask. "Are you the Heart Harvester?" I asked, with fear in my eyes.

He laughed. He laughed so hard I swear his lungs were going to come out of his mouth. He looked at me, and smiled.

"My dear girl," He said, "I do not harvest hearts. I use them for scientific reasons."

I scoffed, "Right. I bet you eat them, or something weird like that."

He shook his head, "Not at all. The human heart is very complex. I have been using these hearts for transplants all across America, and I have become very successful in what I do."

"So why tell me all this? You can't kill me in a dream," I said, still unsure of myself.

He shook his head again, "I am going to kill you when you sleep. Tomorrow night, you will be dead. I will have your pure heart, and my accomplice with replace my heart with yours."

He looked up at me, an evil glint in his eyes, "Of course, I shall make sure that you remember none of this in the morning."

He took his knife from his pocket, a slit a clean line across my forehead. All I remember from there is black.

**Chapter 7:**

I woke up the next morning in a heavy sweat. I didn't remember much of the dream at this point, but all I could think about was that Zak person that was killed in the abandoned house. I decided to go and see if I could talk with him, maybe he could tell me who killed him.

I set out in the morning, even though I knew nighttime was best. Something was nagging me in the back of my head that I couldn't wait till tonight. I stepped inside the creaky building, and I heard a male voice from upstairs.

"Bingo," I whispered to myself.

I walked up the stairs, and was surprised to find Zak, or what was left of him, sitting in a chair in the middle of the roof. I was thankful that the rest of his body was back, and he had a full face again.

"Hello," He said uncertainly. He searched my face for something familiar, but he seemed disappointed.

"Hi Zak," I said, "I found you here when someone killed you."

He nodded, "I was killed by Dr. Aglitter, one of the most renowned men in the country."

I was surprised at how calmly he said this, "And that's all? Then why are you still here?"

"I'm here for you," He said. He looked at me with troubled eyes, "He's going to kill you tonight. Once you're dead, I'm free to go wherever I choose." He stiffened, "I chose to be with whoever found my body and did something about it."

I looked at him strangely, "But why? Why choose me?"

His floating figure rose from the chair and floated over to me, "Because I wanted to be with someone who really cared." He cupped his ghostly hand around my cheek, leaving a cold chill running up my spine. And like that, he was gone.

I ran back to my house, the chill still lingering. I ran into my house, into my bathroom and slammed the door shut. I called the bar, telling them I was sick and couldn't make it in tonight. I gasped as pain shot through my forehead. I looked in the mirror and saw blood running down my face. I knew he was out to get me, I remembered the whole dream now. I needed to get him.

I called Maria and told her everything. She was amazed as I was, and proceeded to call 911 once I hung up. I stayed in my bathroom, hoping I would be safe until they figured everything out. I knew I was going to die, no matter what. I decided to just sleep, and let fate take its course. So I crawled in my bed at ten-thirty, ready to face destiny or doom.

**Chapter 8:**

I was back in that darkroom, where Dr. Aglitter awaited me. He was sitting in a large throne, his hands clasped together almost menacingly.

"Welcome, Ray," He purred, "I'm glad you could join my before you are sent to Hell!"

"I'm a good woman, I'm not going to Hell, especially since you said I have a pure heart," I pointed out.

He sighed, "You always have to ruin the moment, don't you?"

I grinned, "So, when is this accomplice of yours coming to kill me?"

He looked at me, shocked, "You remember the dream?"

I nodded, "Yeah. So, what do you want to tell me before I die? That you were given permission to kill Zak if I found him so we would be in Heaven together? Or so you could practice your insane experiments on people?"

He glowered at me, "No. None of that. I want your heart, so I can be the purest man in the world!"

He stood and walked over to me. He took his hands and clasped my face, grinning evilly. He forcefully shoved his lips against mine, and I tried to back away but he kept bringing me closer. I know he was trying to control me, but I couldn't break the kiss. I wanted to leave, but I couldn't. My legs melted under me, and then I was gone.

_I guess I'm in Heaven now_, I thought as I looked at my surroundings. I immediately noticed a crouched-over figure in my peripheral vision. I ran over to him, hugging the silhouette.

"Zak?" I whispered against the cold form.

"Ray," He mumbled, leaning into me.

I hugged him tight, letting his chin rest against my breastbone. I tilted his chin up, and he smiled at me. He brought his forehead to mine, his lips brushing mine. I smiled, as he leaned in to deepen the kiss. Eventually, he broke the kiss, and rolled over on his back. I lay next to him, my hand intertwined with his.

"This is really ironic," He said.

"Why?"

"Because we've never been together forever before."

"Never Together Forever?"

"Yeah, something like that."

Hey! Thanks for reading! What do you think? :D

-10Ninjakitty


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